Discovering such confidently articulated values and brand presence led me to look more closely at the oft forgotten battle for market share that exists in the charity 'market.'

I asked a colleague to spontaneously list the top three charity brands operating in Australia. "Let me think of the junk mail I've received lately.", came the reply. And therein lies the problem. Traditional marketing and branding of charities has finally (by necessity) given way to the practices long subscribed to by FMCG and service companies, ever anxious to capture additional market share.

Digging deeper into The Smith Family brand reinforced this even further. No longer are these charities/businesses spending the majority of their precious dollars and hours rattling tins and knocking on doors (not to undermine the importance of these pursuits), but are instead concentrating on the top end of town in an effort to tap into the corporate world's thirst for 'Triple Bottom Line' results. ('Triple' refers to the society, the economy and the environment. Society depends on the economy - and the economy depends on the global ecosystem, whose health represents the ultimate bottom line).

Triple Bottom Line is the corporate frenzy set to replace both Y2K and GST. Triple Bottom Line (bugger it, let's create another acronym, TBL) thinking will prove to be a huge fillip for charity brands - however, as always, only the fittest will prosper. The Smith Family, under the stewardship of CEO Elaine Henry, states that they "understand business," and are indeed keen "to partner other businesses for mutual benefit." And with brand values like those stated above, one would expect the expect the Triple Bottom Liners (TBL's) to be forming a queue at Smith Family Central, cheque books at the ready. However, unfortunately it is not quite this easy. The number of brands in the market is significant, with other players, both national and international, beating at the same doors. Brands such as World Vision, Unicef, CAA - Oxfam Australia, Red Cross, Amnesty International and The Salvation Army are all strong, all unique, and all capable of garnering significant corporate support.

What are they doing to ensure they get on the 'possible causes' lists put together by the TBL's?

A number of these organisations have re-branded in the past year or two, in an effort to present a more professional, credible and attractive face to the Collins/Pitt Street brigade.

Community Aid Abroad, well known in Australia for its long running 'Walk Against Want,' has now formally affiliated with Oxfam International, and as such has been re-branded as part of a global strategy. On their website, CAA - Oxfam Australia refer to their re-branding in glowing terms; "Our common global identity - like that of Greenpeace and Amnesty International - will make our work more effective, and ensure it receives worldwide recognition." Attractive words indeed for the TBL's.

World Vision has been particularly successful in attracting the TBL's - lauding the relationships (often based on the supply of goods and/or services) they have forged with the likes of BHP, Uncle Toby's, Colonial and Yakka.

The Salvation Army, ever popular in Australia (the Red Shield Appeal, Salvos and indeed the S.A.O. Biscuit are now part of the vernacular) faces a possible difficulty with TBL's, by presenting a more overtly religious tone to its communications. TBL's are often inclined to favour 'cleanskins' in this regard, to avoid sensitivity issues with staff or shareholders who object to (perceived) favouritism of one religion over another. Certainly no-one ever objected to funding the training of guide dogs. The Salvos proudly describe themselves as "a ministry motivated by love for God," however are quick to reinforce that "in practical terms, we offer practical help to men, women and children.".As the saying goes, thank God for the Salvos.

So what does this corporate branding of major charities actually mean? Certainly for those mentioned, the benefits are tangible. For smaller charities and causes, however, it means the times ahead will only get tougher. Over the coming years the TBL's will predominantly gravitate to charity brands that enjoy profiles significant enough to provide visible rub-off benefit. 'Save the Disadvantaged, Attention Deficit Affected Whales' and the like will be increasingly marginalised, certainly in terms of the big dollars.

Maybe we haven't yet seen the end of the tin rattling 'Highway Collectors,' or ubiquitous, heat stressed blokes in koala suits.